


To change the past is a big order, but you can change the future

by silvermoongirl10



Series: Exists in a delicate balance [27]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Protective CC-2224 | Cody, Worried CC-2224 | Cody, Worried Feemor (Star Wars), Worried Qui-Gon Jinn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29064603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermoongirl10/pseuds/silvermoongirl10
Summary: 'In a quiet small room, that housed three bacta tanks a lone figure was sat in an uncomfortable chair, just watching another figure suspended in one of the bacta tanks, gently swaying in the liquid. The only sounds in the room came from the tank and breathing equipment. The person in the chair replayed the events that led them to this place over and over again in their head. Just wondering what they could have done differently. They recalled the screech of the building as it collapsed, the surge of dust that engulfed them and then overwhelming darkness. They had been injured, but not severely, not like the figure in the tank. Whose body was littered with injuries, open bleeding wounds and broken bones. They had heroically saved three other people beneath the collapsing building, almost at the cost of their life. As any true Jedi would.'(Set 3 years after the Clone Wars.)
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Feemor & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Feemor & Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Child Character(s), Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Exists in a delicate balance [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978357
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	To change the past is a big order, but you can change the future

In a quiet small room, that housed three bacta tanks a lone figure was sat in an uncomfortable chair, just watching another figure suspended in one of the bacta tanks, gently swaying in the liquid. The only sounds in the room came from the tank and breathing equipment. The person in the chair replayed the events that led them to this place over and over again in their head. Just wondering what they could have done differently. They recalled the screech of the building as it collapsed, the surge of dust that engulfed them and then overwhelming darkness. They had been injured, but not severely, not like the figure in the tank. Whose body was littered with injuries, open bleeding wounds and broken bones. They had heroically saved three other people beneath the collapsing building, almost at the cost of their life. As any true Jedi would.

The lone figure in the chair bent forward and tightly clenched their hair between their fists, ignoring the dull ache in their hands. That left over sensation of mending skin and bones. They were exhausted, so tired and just wanted to sleep. But the mere thought of leaving the room burned with wrongness. Their chest felt tight, it hurt to breathe, just the effort of breathing was almost too much for their exhausted body that just wanted to rest. But they could not leave. They _would not_.

There were footsteps in the doorway, and a heavy sigh carried across the still air of the room. Slowly and quietly the footsteps drew near. The new arrival slowly bent their knees so they knelt beside the figure in the chair, as they rested a heavy hand on the figure's shoulder. The new person sighed again when their touch elicited no response. "You need to rest," said Qui-Gon to the figure in the chair. Again, there was no response, the figure just continued to sit hunched in their chair, staring at the tank. Sighing again, Qui-Gon then hooked his hands under the figure's arms, trying to physically pull them from the room. But the figure was immovable, and shrugged off Qui-Gon's hands. " _Please_ come with me and get some rest, you _need_ to rest," begged Qui-Gon. He was not ashamed of begging; he had been pleading with the figure to get some rest for two days now and the figure had said not a word. Since waking, all the figure had done was leave their medical bed and sit in the chair in front of the bacta tank. They didn't move, they didn't sleep, they didn't eat and they didn't talk.

Qui-Gon cupped the haggard face with his hands and tried to move the dim eyes towards his own face. But again, the figure could not be moved. Qui-Gon lowered his face into the crook of the figure's neck and tried to push back the tears that were stinging the backs of his eyes. " _Please come and get some rest_ ," he whispered brokenly.

"…Can't…" came the hoarse reply from the figure.

Qui-Gon sharply lifted his head up and looked at the pale and drawn face of the figure. Noting the thick, dark circles under their eyes, the chapped lips and the haunted eyes. "Obi-Wan?" But his former Padawan wasn't looking at him. Obi-Wan's gaze remained on the figure in the tank. His blank blue eyes were watching the black Padawan braid twist and turn in the bacta. "Padawan, _please_ …" his voice petered out, seeing and feeling Obi-Wan's flinch at the word Padawan.

"Not leaving her alone," came Obi-Wan's almost inaudible response. Qui-Gon sighed and turned his head, his gaze locking onto Ranna as she swayed unconscious in the bacta, the liquid healing her injuries bit by bit.

As the pair remained in silence, Qui-Gon heard a few thumps at the door. He turned his head and found Cody marching into the room, a sleeping cot tucked under one arm, the cot being responsible for the thumping sounds as it collided with the walls and doorway. Cody paused in the doorway, his shoulders deflating when he saw Obi-Wan had still not moved from his chair. "I had hoped the cot would be unnecessary," commented Cody, his voice gruff as he tried to hold back his disappointment. Qui-Gon slowly got to his feet, reluctant to step away from his former Padawan, terrified that if Obi-Wan was out of his sight he would just fade away. But he knew if anyone could get Obi-Wan to rest, it was Cody.

Cody had experience of getting Obi-Wan to rest in high stress situations more than Qui-Gon did. He saw the aftermath of what the war did to his former Padawan, but it was Cody who lived through it all with Obi-Wan. So, Qui-Gon stepped away from Obi-Wan, his mind screaming that this was all wrong. He squeezed one of Cody's shoulders, distantly noting the grey blanket thrown over his other shoulder and then left the room, his heart heavy.

* * *

After Qui-Gon turned a corner and disappeared from sight, Cody turned to look at the defeated figure of his husband. His heart broke at the image in front of him. He had never seen Obi-Wan so lost before and in front of him was Ranna, the Healers still unsure when she could be removed from the tank. He had sat beside Obi-Wan's bedside for two days while he was treated and then slept off the Force exhaustion. The relief he thought he would feel at his husband waking up didn't happen. He'd had to tell Obi-Wan that Ranna had been in a bacta tank for two days and the Healers were unsure when she could be removed or if she would ever recover. Obi-Wan's already dim blue eyes had dimmed even further. Despite his body being stiff, the Jedi had pulled himself from his medical bed and situated himself in a chair in front of Ranna's bacta tank, where he had remained for two days.

With a quiet sigh, Cody stepped further into the room and placed the sleeping cot on the floor in front of Obi-Wan's chair. He pulled the grey blanket he had tossed over his shoulder onto the cot, and cursed himself for forgetting a pillow. So, instead he pulled off his jacket and bundled it up into a makeshift pillow. Well, they had slept on worse.

He turned from his position kneeling next to the cot and looked up at the face of his husband. Obi-Wan's face while pale, still had faint traces of soot all over his face, his hair was messy and unclean and worst of all, his usually bright blue eyes were blank and looked almost grey in the dim lighting of the room. He reached out and grasped onto Obi-Wan's hands, flinching at their coldness and his cyare's unresponsiveness. He blinked away the memories of the explosion, of how the three of them had been walking through the peaceful streets of Coruscant. Not even on a mission. He tried to forget the heart lurching terror he felt at losing sight of Obi-Wan and Ranna as they sprang into action, with the Force warning them seconds before the explosion happened. For fifteen terrifying minutes, he had had no idea where Obi-Wan or Ranna were.

Cody's heart had stopped when he had found Obi-Wan and Ranna. His husband had collapsed next to his Padawan, both of them unconscious and if it wasn't for the life bond that connected Cody to Obi-Wan, he would have thought his cyare was dead. Once in the Halls Healer Corra and Bant had told him that Obi-Wan's injuries were not so serious, his state was down to the fact he had drained himself Force Healing Ranna. Cody had wanted to rage at his husband, so angry that his husband had almost killed himself Force Healing _again_. But Bant had added that if Obi-Wan had not Force Healed Ranna, then the fifteen-year-old Padawan would have died. And Cody had heard stories about Masters whose Padawans had died, their training bonds snapping. Some Masters recovered from the loss, others never did, becoming shells of themselves, becoming walking ghosts. And he knew Obi-Wan would have been one of the Masters to never recover, he cared so deeply and would have blamed himself. So, no. Cody could not rage at Obi-Wan for Force Healing, because by saving Ranna, Obi-Wan had also saved himself.

He released his grip on Obi-Wan's hands and lifted his hands up to rest against the sides of his husband's head, brushing his thumbs against Obi-Wan's cheeks and beard. "Cyare, you need to get some rest," he stated, making his voice firm. Obi-Wan hadn't been fully healed when he pulled himself from his bed two days ago, and he had not slept since. Probably using the Force to keep himself going, which was not going to heal his Force exhaustion.

Surprisingly Obi-Wan flickered his eyes away from the bacta tank and looked into Cody's own brown eyes. Obi-Wan shook his head once, his eyes wide and desperate. "I _can't_ …please Cody…don't make me leave… _please_ …"

"Shhh," Cody gently hushed, one of his hands brushing Obi-Wan's fringe back off his face. "I'm not making you go anywhere." He leaned to the side and let Obi-Wan's gaze fall onto the sleeping cot. "You can stay right here. But I want you to get some rest."

Seeing no resistance, Cody gently helped Obi-Wan to his feet. Noticing the stiffness to his cyare's limbs, how his back was slightly hunched forward. He lay Obi-Wan down on the cot on his side, so he could continue to look at the bacta tank. Cody lay down behind his husband, pulling the grey blanket up to their shoulders and then wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan, pulling his husband's back against his chest, their heads pillowed on Cody's jacket.

Obi-Wan's eyes grew heavy, and he continuingly blinked his eyes in an attempt to keep them open. His cyare whined at the back of his throat desperately, seemingly scared about closing his eyes. Cody gently hushed his cyare while he swept a hand up and down Obi-Wan side and brushed his hair back with his other hand. "It's alright, you can rest I'm here. I've got the watch." Seeming to understand that Cody was going to make sure he rested no matter what, Obi-Wan admitted defeat and his eyes slowly slipped closed. Cody sighed in relief and curled up behind Obi-Wan as close as he could possibly get, his eyes remaining open and looking over his cyare's head to where Ranna was in the bacta tank.

He thought back to that day four days ago. It was exactly a year to the day Dooku had died, and Obi-Wan had been feeling down, not wanting to bother anyone about how he was feeling knowing Dooku was still a sensitive topic. Anakin, Feemor and Qui-Gon had all visited the former Sith once, just days before he died and had only seemed to go to his funeral for Obi-Wan's sake. His cyare had spent the year Dooku was at the Temple visiting his Grandmaster whenever he could, part of him relishing at the time he got to spend with the older man. Obi-Wan had admitted to Cody that spending time with Dooku again was something he had never held out for, thinking his Grandmaster would always be out of reach. Cody himself had even visited Dooku, with Ranna by his side, their visits shocking Obi-Wan, who had never even thought to ask them to visit. Cody found it actually helped him heal from the war, here was one of the people who terrified him the most, someone who killed his brothers and posed a serious threat to Obi-Wan. But all that remained of the Sith, was a tired, old man. So, when the date of Dooku's death came around, no amount of visits from the Skywalker twins or even Echo's adopted one-year-old daughter could brighten Obi-Wan's day. His husband retreating into himself, not wanting to bother anyone who had not forgiven Dooku for his actions during the war. But Cody and Ranna understood, they knew getting out of the Temple would help Obi-Wan, they knew taking him away from constant reminders of Dooku and of the people who never forgave him would be for the best. So, the three of them had wandered around Coruscant's market stalls, enjoying the sunny day. Before it all went so terribly wrong.

As Obi-Wan slept through the night, for the first time in days in a natural sleep, Cody kept watch. His eyes often flicking over to the screens beside the bacta tank, checking everything was okay. Bant would come into to check on Ranna and the first time she caught sight of Obi-Wan sleeping; her knees had almost buckled in relief. She had left some rations and bottles of water for him and Obi-Wan, so Cody was hoping when his cyare woke up he would finally eat something. Bant had whispered that Ranna was starting to do better, something that pleased Cody to no end. He had grown close to Ranna in her two years as Obi-Wan's Padawan, but he knew if Ranna died, then Obi-Wan would be _destroyed_.

When dawn wasn't far away, Cody's attention was drawn away from Ranna to his husband. Obi-Wan was frowning and whimpering in his sleep, muttering too quietly for Cody to make out what he was saying. So, he ran his fingers over his cyare's face, gently waking him before his nightmare grew worse. He watched as his husband's eyes flickered open and looked at the bacta tank, before Obi-Wan turned his head so he could look up at Cody. Willingly looking away from the bacta tank. Cody reached down and picked up a water bottle and opened it before giving it to Obi-Wan. He smiled as his cyare took a sip, wetting his lips and mouth, before he set it back on the floor.

Obi-Wan nervously cast his gaze between Ranna and Cody. "Is…is she?..." Cody's heart broke at how much it was clear Obi-Wan didn't want to ask in case the news was bad.

"Bant said she's doing better," he replied softly, as he tucked some hair behind Obi-Wan's ear. "They can't take Ranna out of the tank yet, but she is doing better." He tucked Obi-Wan closer to him, rolling onto his back so Obi-Wan could rest on top of him, their legs tangling together under the blanket.

"I dreamed about the mudslide," murmured Obi-Wan, his eyes looking past Cody's head and glazing over. Cody rubbed his hands up and down his cyare's back, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "It's been running over and over again in my mind. Rialni was fifteen when she died…and she had black hair…her and Ranna's Padawan braids are the same length…"

Cody's chest tightened at the pain in his cyare's voice, he knew where this comparison was going. His cyare's nightmares were putting Ranna with him and Rialni in the mudslide, Obi-Wan was watching his friend and his Padawan swallowed up by thick, choking mud. He pushed feelings of love down their life bond and cupped the back of Obi-Wan's head, tangling his fingers in the copper strands. "That is in the past cyar'ika, Ranna didn't die and she is stubborn just like us. She _won't_."

Obi-Wan made a choked whimper as he buried his face in the crook of Cody's shoulder. "I just keep seeing Master Thyban's face during Rialni's funeral and how easily that could have been me." Cody tightened his arms around Obi-Wan's middle and hugged his husband against him. As he thought on his cyare's words, he realised he had never met or heard of a Master Thyban, seeming to know what was running through Cody's mind, Obi-Wan leaned back ever so slightly. "Master Thyban died before the war started. He never really recovered from Rialni's death and eventually he just faded away." Obi-Wan then paused and then quietly added, "I feel bad for saying it, but I think it was a mercy he died before the war because Rialni's older brother-Padawan died in the war and her older sister-Padawan was moved to the medically disabled list due to injuries sustained in the war."

While Cody felt for the Master he had never met and the results fate had wrought on his Padawans, Cody couldn't help but look up at Obi-Wan and see how close his cyare was to sharing Master Thyban's fate. Ranna's loss would have turned Obi-Wan into a walking ghost before he eventually faded away and Cody knew no matter how hard he, Qui-Gon, Feemor and Anakin would try, they would not be able to breathe life back into Obi-Wan in that case. So, he tucked his face against Obi-Wan's collarbone and just breathed deeply, comforting himself with his husband's presence.

A little later he sat up, with Obi-Wan still leaning against him, and managed to gently encourage Obi-Wan to eat some of the rations Bant had left for him. As Obi-Wan leaned against his chest, his face tilted towards Ranna as he nibbled on the rations, Cody's attention was drawn by Qui-Gon, Feemor and Anakin entering the room. Qui-Gon's eyes lit up at the sight of Obi-Wan on the sleeping cot and eating. Anakin walked past the two Masters and came to sit on the floor in front of the sleeping cot, leaning back slightly so his back brushed against Obi-Wan's shoulder. Cody watched as his cyare came to rest his free hand on Anakin's head and gently tangled his fingers in his former Padawan's dirty blonde hair. Anakin leaned his head back and smiled in contentment, causing Obi-Wan's lips to twitch in an attempt of a smile.

Feemor left the room and then returned with another chair which he placed behind the sleeping cot, next to the one Obi-Wan had been rooted to for two days. Qui-Gon then sat in the chair Obi-Wan had been using. The grey-haired Master just staring down at his youngest former Padawan, breathing an audible sigh of relief. Feemor gently nudged Qui-Gon's side with his elbow. "See, I told you Cody would help him out."

"Perhaps I should listen to you more often Feemor," replied Qui-Gon faintly, a slight trace of humour in his voice.

"Maybe not the wisest decision," murmured Obi-Wan, his attention still focused on his injured Padawan. Cody began to grin, seeing the return of Obi-Wan's sense of humour as the light in the current darkness. Feemor did not retort as he usually would, too stunned to reply, allowing for Anakin to comment as well.

"Yeah, that's dangerous Master Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan told me about the time Feemor's plan got you all captured by pirates."

"You _told him_ that?" exclaimed Feemor. His offence overruling any other emotion he was feeling at Obi-Wan's improved state.

"I have no secrets from my Padawans," replied Obi-Wan. His voice was still faint, and he was still looking to the bacta tank. But the fact he was _talking_ and not only that, he was taking part and following a conversation. Cody felt his eyes sting with tears at the sure relief he was feeling.

Anakin chuckled, "yeah, Obi-Wan has told Ranna and I _a lot_ of stories about you."

"Obi-Wan! How could you?!" demanded Feemor sharply. But there was not true bite to his tone, because when Cody turned to look at the other man, he found Feemor brushing away tears. Qui-Gon was smiling, ignoring the tears slipping down his face into his beard. Cody knew the older men had been terrified the past two days. Cody had heard some about the time Obi-Wan had shut down following the mudslide that killed Rialni, and he knew Feemor and Qui-Gon were terrified that Obi-Wan was slipping back into that same state. Thankfully, that appeared to have been avoided. Cody turned back to his husband and nuzzled his face into the copper hair, not caring that it needed a wash, his husband was alive and getting better. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Three weeks later found Ranna and Obi-Wan discharged from the Halls of Healing and back in their quarters. Cody had watched fondly as Ranna fought to stay awake but slipped into sleep as she lay stretched out on one of the sofas, Obi-Wan had tucked the multi-coloured blanket Qui-Gon had bought for him when he broke his leg around Ranna. He then stepped towards the other sofa where Cody was lying and curled himself up against Cody's chest.

"I don't know why I keep that monstrosity of a blanket," Obi-Wan muttered, his hands gently clutching Cody's tunic.

Cody smirked as he wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan's middle. "You can pretend all you want, but I know you secretly like that blanket. I've seen you throw out other blankets without remorse you disliked. You would not have taken that blanket from your Padawan room into your new quarters with Anakin if you didn't like it. And before you say you kept it for Anakin's sake, why is it still here? You kept it long after he was Knighted and before you took on Ranna."

"I don't know what you are talking about," sniffed Obi-Wan as he closed his eyes and then tucked himself further against Cody. The conversation obviously at an end.

"I love you cyar'ika," chuckled Cody as he shook his head. He then checked on Ranna one more time, smiling seeing her fast asleep. Then he closed his own eyes, feeling tiredness pulling at his feet. It had been a long four weeks with emotions running high, and everything was finally going back to normal. It might be slow, but Cody didn't care. Obi-Wan and Ranna would recover and everything could resume just as it should be. He kissed Obi-Wan's forehead and leaving his nose pressed against his cyare's copper hair, he followed his husband into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Cyar'ika – darling/sweetheart.
> 
> Echo’s adoptive daughter is introduced in my Fives & Echo series fic, [The greatest honour](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29048016).


End file.
